Chapter 065 Shiraishi-san Exposed! / Asuka Toys with Akira by Intentionally Giving "Fan Service"
Akira Shimizu took a quick glance at the riddles.
Riddle 1: Move only one matchstick to make the equation true...
Riddle 2: What question can you never answer "yes" to? (List at least five logical answers acceptable to the Student Council).
Riddle 3: One of the following statements is true, the rest are false: Four classmates—A, B, C, and D—are speaking. A says...
If you solved a riddle, you could check in with the staff at the entrance, and they would reveal the location of a hidden QR code. A note at the bottom specifically stated there was no guarantee that these codes would be worth more than 5,000 points.
First come, first served. Once all three riddles were solved, a "Riddles Finished" sign would be displayed at the entrance.
As the teacher in charge of explaining the rules stepped down, Kiriyama from the Student Council cleared his throat and stepped forward: "To prevent cheating, all participants must go to the registration point, pay a 10,000-point entry fee, and sign the grade roster. Signing on behalf of others is forbidden; you must be present. After collecting your rewards, report back here before the game ends. If you ignore this rule, your rewards will be invalidated."
While there was a 50% chance of losing points and a 30% chance of breaking even, there was still a 20% chance of turning a small profit. If you were lucky enough to hit the 1,000,000-point jackpot, it would truly be like winning the lottery. Most people felt their luck was decent enough, and since they were on a luxury cruise, they joined for the fun and atmosphere. Registration began in earnest.
Akira joined the queue. After about twenty minutes, he finally reached Chiya Kiriyama.
"Shimizu, is it?" Kiriyama adjusted his glasses and took a special look at him.
"Good afternoon, Vice President," Akira greeted naturally. He recalled that he hadn't had any conflicts with Kiriyama. During the Uninhabited Island exam, the guy had even left a task spot open for him.
"Mhm, good afternoon. Write your name here, scan this code to pay 10,000 points, then scan this QR code to download the dedicated treasure hunt app. If you want to partner up, bind your info with theirs in the app... By the way, you can only bind with someone who doesn't have a partner yet. Once bound, you can't easily unbind. Once you find a code, only one person needs to scan it. If participating solo, scan it yourself. Understood?" Kiriyama spoke in a businesslike tone.
"Understood, the Vice President's explanation was very clear." Akira nodded and paid the fee. While the app was downloading, he struck up a conversation: "By the way, Vice President,
aren't you going to participate? The rules don't say the Student Council is excluded. You could relax a bit after you're done."
Kiriyama sighed rarely and rubbed his temples.
"You think I don't want to? It's just pointless. Even if I got that million or half-million, in the end, it would just benefit..."
He cut himself off, realizing something, and cleared his throat. "Cough, anyway, I have no plans to participate. No need to ask for details. You just go have your fun."
Akira's app finished installing, and he nodded. "Got it, Vice President. I'm done. I'll leave you to your work."
'Wait, the words he wanted to finish were definitely 'even if I got it, I'd just have to hand it over to Miyabi Nagumo,' right?'
After all, the third-year students had that agreement where individual accounts couldn't exceed 500,000 points. Looking at the queue, Akira noticed that third-year participants were few and far between—almost non-existent. It seemed they had all given up for the same reason as Kiriyama.
'Poor senpais, being exploited like this by Nagumo.'
Akira then remembered the intel saying Nagumo didn't intend to let Kiriyama into Class A anymore. Should he find a time to tell him? With over 30 million points in his own account, he could perhaps lend the Vice President a hand and cooperate with him if necessary.
.
.
.
The treasure hunt officially began!
Akira scanned the venue. Since he was late in the queue, many teams had already started moving. Some fast-movers had already scanned codes and were waiting for rewards. However, most only received 5,000 points.
It seemed certain that the QR codes placed near the registration area, which were easy to find, were mostly "participation prizes" of 5,000 points. The teachers placing them clearly knew which stickers corresponded to which rewards. The higher the difficulty of the hidden location, the higher the reward.
'In that case, the codes for the three riddles are guaranteed to be 10,000 points or more!'
Akira looked at the riddles in his hand. Instead of searching aimlessly, it was better to solve these. He stood there thinking for a few minutes. Just as he was getting a lead on the answers, he caught a glimpse of Shiina Hiyori and Ibuki Mio walking toward the staff.
About ten seconds later, the "Riddles Finished" sign was placed on the staff's table.
'No way, Hiyori! You solved them that fast?!'
Akira's lip twitched. He had to give up on the riddles now and settle for finding well-hidden codes in the venue. He set off and, after a few minutes, saw many pairs working together. Some had one person holding a small stool while the other stood on it to search high places. Their coordination was impressive.
"Should I find a partner too?" Akira muttered to himself. Usually, with so many girlfriends, he wouldn't have to worry. The problem was that his girlfriends were currently busy using him as a prize in their own competition; no one was paying him any mind.
'Find Ayanokouji Kiyotaka? Teaming up with a guy is too weird!'
If he were to find a girl... the only one he was somewhat familiar with was Tsubasa Nanase. Just as he was about to call her, a soft voice floated over.
"Oh? Shimizu-kun? What a coincidence. Are you alone too?"
He turned to see a beautiful girl with pale blonde hair standing behind him, tucking her hair behind her ear and watching him quietly.
It was Shiraishi Asuka, the "Hundred-Man Slayer."
"Shiraishi-san, good afternoon. Are you alone too? Where's Nishikawa-san?"
Shiraishi Asuka shook her head slowly. "Ryoko has something to do today and isn't available." She stared at Akira for a few seconds as if hit by a good idea, then clapped her hands. "Since we're both alone, why don't we team up?"
She had invited him for coffee before. Now she was proactively asking to team up? Akira didn't know why she was so keen on being alone with him. It couldn't be that she actually liked him, could it? They had barely spoken; her expressions and details didn't look like someone in love. It felt like she had an ulterior motive.
Akira cleared his throat. "Um... you saw the school forum, right? My reputation isn't great lately. I think you should stay away from me, otherwise...!"
"Otherwise people might misunderstand that I'm becoming one of your girlfriends?" Asuka finished his sentence matter-of-factly. "I think you should be more worried about yourself, Shimizu-kun. After all, my reputation isn't great either."
Right—her nickname was "Hundred-Man Slayer." They were basically in the same boat!
Seeing his helpless expression, Asuka smiled.
"So in a sense, we're quite a match. I'm actually quite confident in finding hidden things; I know roughly where high-difficulty QR codes would be tucked away. If you still don't agree... I'll even give you all of my share of the points."
"We can team up. But I don't want a double share; we'll split it equally according to the rules." Since she had gone that far, Akira agreed. He wasn't going to take all the rewards.
"Then it's a deal." Asuka took her phone from her pocket. "Come, let's bind our partnership info first."
Akira opened the app, found the binding option, and they scanned each other's screens.
Ding... Binding successful.
"Alright." Asuka tilted her head. "So, where does Shimizu-kun want to start?"
"You're the one confident in finding things. I'll leave the leading to you."
Asuka giggled, covering her mouth. "It's rare to hear you ask someone for a favor." She pointed around. "I noticed most people ran to the upper floors. The lower floors are relatively empty. High-difficulty codes might be hidden better, but the competition is fierce where the crowds are. Why don't we try our luck where it's quiet?"
"Makes sense." Akira followed her lead. They headed for the stairs since the elevators were packed.
Along the way, Akira noticed many students casting curious glances and whispering. He could guess what they were saying—something about "Harem Akira" and "Hundred-Man Asuka" hanging out. Asuka, however, was completely unbothered. She even gave a slight smile to those staring, causing them to look away in embarrassment.
"You don't mind the gossip?" Akira asked.
"Mind what?" Asuka countered. "They aren't lying. I have been intimate with many boys, and you do have several girlfriends. Facts are facts; there's nothing to mind."
Akira wanted to laugh.
'Doesn't she know that I know her 'Hundred-Man Slayer' title is a fake?'
Should he say it? No, no need to expose it. She probably had her reasons for maintaining that persona. Besides, they weren't that close; bringing it up would just be awkward.
"What's wrong?" Asuka asked, seeing his hesitation.
"Nothing. I just think you're right. Facts are facts."
Asuka gave him an extra glance, smiling without a word.
They arrived at the third-floor lounge. There were many sofas and tables, all marked as part of the activity area. A few people were searching nearby, but it was far less crowded than the upper floors.
"Let's go one by one." Akira decided to start from the first sofa on the left.
"Mhm." Asuka walked to a sofa, crouched down, and felt the gaps in the cushions. "Look here."
Akira leaned in and saw the corner of a QR code peeking out from the gap between the cushion and the armrest.
"Good luck..." He crouched down to observe it. The angle was bad, and the light was dim. "Let me." Asuka gently nudged him, slid her phone into the gap, adjusted the angle, and took a photo.
"This one is the 'easy to find' type. Since each person can only scan once, let's save it on my phone for now. We'll look for a while longer and scan the most difficult one we find at the very end. How about it?"
"Good, you're very thorough." Akira had been thinking the same thing. He noticed this code didn't have the character "Akira" on it. It wasn't going to be that easy; it was a 1% chance, the same as getting the million points.
They continued searching the lounge and found two more stickers—one under a sofa and one on the back of a table. Asuka took photos of each.
"These probably aren't the big prizes. They're hidden, but not to the point where they're impossible to find. Likely 5,000 or 10,000 points."
Akira agreed. After the lounge, they moved up to the fourth floor—the study room and library corner. There were more people here, with frequent shouts of "Found it!" followed by complaints of "It's already been scanned!"
"Should we change our approach?" Akira suggested.
"What approach?"
"Instead of looking aimlessly, let's think: if I were the one sticking these, where would I hide the most valuable ones?"
Asuka stopped. "You mean... thinking from the teacher's perspective?"
"Right. The teacher said higher difficulty equals more points. Besides being hidden well, could there be other factors?"
Asuka narrowed her eyes. "Like... needing a clue?"
"Exactly! But the riddles are already solved. Those three codes are likely gone. I mean, is it possible there are other codes that don't need a riddle but require some brainwork to find?"
"You mean... codes hidden in places you can only think of if you have certain information?"
"Something like that."
"For example?"
Akira pondered. "The school staff isn't familiar with this ship either. They probably asked the ship's crew for help. The crew would likely stick them in the most iconic spots. This treasure
hunt is basically to get students to see the ship's sights. So, the places with commemorative significance are likely where the valuable codes are."
Asuka stared at him for several seconds, then giggled.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. I just think... Shimizu-kun, your mind really works fast."
"That doesn't sound like a compliment."
"It is a compliment." Asuka turned toward the stairs. "In that case, let's go ask the ship's staff if this St. Venus has any iconic or commemorative spots within the activity zones."
"Good."
They headed to the service desk on the first floor. The St. Venus was a luxury liner, and the service desk was in the center of the lobby, surrounded by marble pillars and a giant crystal chandelier. It was grand. No one was at the desk since it wasn't a designated "search area."
Akira approached, and a uniformed female staff member greeted them. "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Hi, I wanted to ask if there are any iconic or commemorative spots on the St. Venus? Like statues or plaques?"
The staff member smiled. "You're very clever. Yes, there is a copper plaque on the fifth-floor deck area commemorating the ship's maiden voyage, set right by the railing. Also, there's an oil painting of the ship at the entrance of the third-floor banquet hall, painted by a famous artist during the maiden voyage."
"Are both in the activity zones?" Akira asked.
"Yes, both are." Asuka checked her phone and nodded.
After thanking her, they headed for the elevators.
"Which one first?"
"Fifth-floor deck! A plaque by the railing is a prime spot for a QR code."
They reached the fifth floor. Akira searched along the edge of the deck, his eyes lingering on every section of railing.
"Found it!" Asuka called out. She was crouching by a section of the railing base, pointing at a plaque that read "St. Venus · Maiden Voyage Commemoration." Just below the plaque, on the metal support of the railing, was a QR code.
"This spot... if you didn't crouch down specifically to look, you'd never see it." Asuka snapped a photo.
"And the painting in the banquet hall. Should we go?"
"Of course."
They went down to the third-floor banquet hall. Indeed, a large oil painting hung by the entrance, showing the St. Venus sailing on the sea. It was detailed and vibrant. Strangely, no one else was there.
"Most people are in the sixth-floor entertainment room. A student from my class said someone found a 300,000-point code there, so everyone's trying to get lucky." Asuka explained, checking her phone.
Akira didn't understand that logic—wouldn't a big prize being found mean that floor is less likely to have another one? Regardless, it was good for them. They could explore without interference.
Asuka's gaze fell on the thick, golden wooden frame of the painting, which was carved with complex patterns. "Shimizu-kun, look there." She nudged him toward the top-right corner.
Akira looked and saw a hint of white in the gaps of the pattern. It looked like a stain at first glance, but it was the corner of a QR code.
"Hidden deep indeed."
"The problem is how to scan it." Asuka looked at the height. "It's a bit high; I need to stand on something."
Akira found a chair in the corner and brought it over. He planned to step up himself, but Asuka pulled his sleeve. "Let me."
"What if you fall?"
"I wanted to help you during this treasure hunt, but thanks to your tips, we found these two well-hidden codes instead. Shimizu-kun, give me a chance to show what I can do?" Asuka asked pleadingly.
Akira relented and let her stand on the chair.
"Shimizu-kun, could you stand down there and hold the chair for me?"
"Sure, for your safety." Akira stepped forward and held the sides of the chair.
Then he realized he hadn't thought this through. In this position, Asuka's rear was perfectly aligned with his face. Moreover, Asuka was reaching for the code, causing her hips to sway instinctively as she stood on her tiptoes.
Akira quickly looked away, chanting "see no evil" in his head. She trusted him to hold the chair; if he had a reaction now, it would be too embarrassing.
Asuka sighed. "It's no use, I'm too short. Can you find me something else to stand on?"
"..."
"What's wrong? Why are you hesitating?"
"Nothing, nothing! I'll go look!" Akira cleared his throat and looked around the hall. He found a small, sturdy table that was taller than the chair. He brought it over. "How about this? It's taller than the chair."
Asuka hopped down, checked the table, and nodded. "Hold it steady."
Akira held the sides of the table, and Asuka stepped up.
This height was much better; her eyes were level with the frame. However, for Akira, this wasn't exactly good news. From this angle, because Asuka was wearing a short skirt, he could clearly see her white over-the-knee socks and her thighs, which looked plump and supple. He could even vaguely see a hint of pink beneath the skirt.
'Miss Asuka, you're exposed!'
"I see it!" Asuka suddenly shouted.
Akira flinched and averted his eyes. "What did you see?!"
He had overthought it. Asuka had successfully pulled the QR code out and took a photo.
"Did you get it?" Akira cleared his throat.
"Mhm!" Asuka jumped down, wobbling slightly as she landed. Akira instinctively caught her arm to steady her.
"Thanks." Asuka smiled. "I feel this code is worth at least 100,000 points."
"Let's put the sticker away so others can't find it." Akira suggested.
Asuka tucked her phone away and turned to him. "Where next? Keep looking?"
Akira checked the time; it was past noon. "I think that's enough. Let's call it a day."
None of the codes they found had the character "Akira" on them. It really wasn't that easy to find; a 1% chance. He saw the sweat on Asuka's forehead and decided to end it. They had been searching for over two hours.
"So, which one? The railing one or the painting one? Which do you think was harder to find?"
Akira said awkwardly, "The painting one was harder. Should we scan that one?"
Asuka nodded. "Fine, your call. You scan it."
Akira opened the app and aimed at the photo Asuka had taken. A sparkling treasure chest appeared on the screen. Asuka leaned in beside him to watch, her nose bringing a pleasant scent. Akira wasn't as bothered as before—surely not because he'd seen her panties? He shook off the stray thoughts and tapped the chest.
Gold light burst from the screen.
"Whoa..." Asuka said in shock. "One million points? The top prize, a 1% chance!"
Akira was also stunned. The first scan was the grand prize. He knew the painting one was valuable, but a million points! He had 30 million, but this million was earned through their actual luck.
"Congratulations, Shimizu-kun." Asuka quickly regained her composure and stepped back with a smile. "Seems your luck is great today. I've caught some of it too, getting a million points! But that's too much for me. How about I give you 800,000?"
"No need. We'll split it equally according to the rules—one million each." Akira said seriously. She had done the work too!
"We can't split it equally," Asuka interrupted. "You thought of finding the icons; I just tagged along. Take it."
Akira wanted to argue that partners split equally, but seeing her expression, he swallowed his words. This girl was quite stubborn when she wanted to be.
"800,000 is too much. Let's find a place to hash this out. Honestly, 500,000 is enough."
Asuka's lips curled up. "True, we do need a place to discuss the earnings. But I still think 800,000 is fine."
"Then..." Akira started, then remembered. "Do you have other plans later?"
"No." Asuka shook her head. "I cleared today for the activity. Why?"
"Are you hungry? Since we're done, want to grab a meal and discuss it then?"
"Mhm, that sounds great."
They chatted as they headed for the stairs. Akira noticed Asuka's mood was significantly better than before. She hadn't been unhappy, but now she had a faint smile and a lighter step.
"You seem in a good mood?" Akira asked.
"Mhm." Asuka nodded. "Because my luck was very good today."
"Luck? Getting a million points is indeed lucky."
"Not just that." Asuka glanced at him with an unreadable look. "There are other things too."
'First, Akira didn't follow his girlfriends today; he was alone, so she could team up with him. Second, she intentionally gave 'service' on the table, and he had quite a few 'extra' reactions. Seems he isn't exactly a saint either.
Hehe, she didn't hate that at all. Maybe next time she should find a new way to toy with him a little more?'
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